Possible Stamford 'blue flu' piques interest of state investigators

? A possible mass sickout by members of the Stamford Police Department has sparked some interest on the part of state labor investigators.
Last week, several members of the force who work on the overnight shift called out sick on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Police department representatives believe the sickouts were a coordinated effort by officers in an ongoing labor dispute. However, the union has denied such claims.
The police union met with state labor investigators at an informal hearing Monday. The union?s attorney says his clients are sticking to their earlier statement that the sickouts were not organized. He adds that no laws have been broken. The city?s head labor negotiator says the alleged sickout comes after more than two years of intense negotiations between the union and the city. The state labor board has agreed to expedite a formal hearing for January.
Related information: Contract negotiations possibly make some Stamford police officers 'sick'